Don't Look Back
by emmxolsen
Summary: When a herd of walkers break down the barriers protecting Carl and his family, the only people left living are him and his younger sister Judith. Just when they think they are alone, left fending for themselves, they meet a group of young survivors living in the trees.
1. Chapter 1

Noise. So much noise. Guns firing from all directions and the people, the people were screaming. This place, was my home, the place I felt safe, the place my sister was growing up in, were we were happy.

The last time I saw my dad, he was fighting a walker, although I'd seen him do this a thousand times before, it felt different, like I knew it was going to be the last time I saw him. He raised his axe to end the life of the walker in font of him when another walker got him from behind. bit him in the neck and just like that, he was gone.

I knew at some point he would die, that I would die, but in some ways, you can never be prepared, even after living in a world were you fight the dead and fear the living.

Judith, she was the first thing I thought of after my father had died, how could she not be? She was the only family I had left in the world. The others, Daryl, Glenn, Maggie, Carol, Sasha, Rosita, Abe, Tara, they're all dead now, so it was just me, me and Judith do fend for our selves in this dead, dead world that we live in.

Judith was hiding in the barn, we had a secret place that we'd go if something went wrong, so I knew that's were she'd be. There was no point in fighting anymore, we just had to get out of there, find a new place to live, were we could be safe again. But I couldn't help but wondering if this is what it was going to be like for the rest of our lives, running, feeling safe, getting attacked and then running again.

When I got to the barn, Judith wasn't crying, but I could tell she had been, her pants were wet and so were he cheeks. I tied to remember if I had been like that when it first begun, but I hadn't been that young, she was only just seven, and a small tiny thing. However, this life was all she ever knew, she didn't know what life was like before.

"Come on Judy, we have to go, we have to go now!" I said yelling, although I didn't mean to. I grabbed her hand and pulled her from the hay were she was sitting. Our escape route was simple, the barn was to the back of the settlement we had been residing in so we could jump out the window and run away into the forest, there was a river near by and walkers couldn't swim. I had prepared a rope a head of time, knowing that the day would come that we'd have to leave this place. I went first, if any walkers saw I there, I'd have to fight them off so that it was safe for Judith to climb down. Being born in the time of the walkers had made Judith strong, she did know how to fight, how to climb, how to shoot a gun, our dad thought it was important, and he was right. But at the end of the day, she is still a little kid, she shouldn't have to be fighting for her life, protecting he family, she should be being protected.

I landed with a thud at the bottom of the barn and luckily there wasn't a walker in sight. "Judith, it safe to come down!" I called up to her. She poked her head out of the window and slid down the rope with ease grabbing my hand when she reached the end.

Together we sprinted out to the settlement. "What about dad!" Judith cried almost tripping over. "Don't look back Judith, don't look back" I shouted leading her into the unknown that was the rest of the world.


	2. Chapter 2

We had been walking for what seemed like forever. There hadn't been that many walkers around, a couple here and there but it wasn't anything we couldn't handle. I could tell that Judith was getting tired, she had started to fall behind and I could hear her groaning. "My feet hurt Carl, can we go back now?" she moaned, stopping before sitting on the ground. I walked over to my sister, kneeling beside her. "We can't go home Jude, it's not safe anymore, do you understand that?" I asked. She looked at me with her bright eyes, they were just as blue as mine are. "But..." She began but I couldn't let her continue, I knew she was going to ask about dad. "But nothing, it's not safe and that's just the way it is". Her eyes started getting watery and I knew it was mostly because she was tired, and she, understandably wanted her father, as did I. "Come here, ride on my back for a while" I said, pulling her up from the ground and helping her onto my back. She wasn't that heavy, and even though I was tired too, I managed to walk for another mile or so before I decided that we would have to stop for the night. I was almost completely dark and it would be safe to continue until morning. Unfortunately I hadn't found an abandoned house to take shelter in so using what my dad had taught me, I climb a decent looking tree with a wide branch that I could sit on and then helped Judith up. We would be somewhat safe up here for the night, that is of course, if we don't fall down.

I woke with the sun the next day. Sometimes if I close my eyes I can imagine what life would be like if none of this had happened. But then I hear the growl of a walker and that fantasy ends. Judith woke shortly after I did and we continued our journey. We weren't sure where we were going, only that we had to find somewhere.

About 3 hours of walking had past when suddenly I heard the crack of a branch behind us. I spun around, but I couldn't see a walker anywhere. "Judith, get behind me" I commanded. She did it almost instantly. "Who's there" I yelled, trying to sound threatening. No answer. "Come out and show yourself or I'll start shooting. There was a rustle from behind a bush before the person who had been watching stepped forward.

To my surprise, it was a young boy; he looked about 8, maybe 9 years old. His hair was long and in brushed, his clothes look dirty and well worn. "Where are your parent's? Are you lost?" I asked. The boy took another step closer and smiled, before running in the opposite direction. "Hey! Wait where are you going?!" I shouted after him, all I could think was maybe, just maybe, he had a safe place to live and maybe, Judith and I could join. "Come on Judith!" I said running after the boy holding on to my sister's hand.

Suddenly the boy stopped in the middle of a clearing and turned to face us. "Where did you come from" I asked again. The boy looked up and I followed his line of vision.

My heart almost stopped when I saw the guns pointed at us.


End file.
